Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Police on Saturday (October 24, 2026) registered a case against social media influencer Amrit Singh Darren on the charge of creating enmity between different religious communities through posts on his Instagram handle, “littichokha_up_”.
The Video
In the video, Mr. Darren criticises the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government for “accepting funding from Arab countries to aid promote Islam” in Keralam. The influencer singles out Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala for reproof, accusing him of standing passively as the “dangerous situation” in Keralam seemed to “slip out of our hands” unless the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led “Central government intervened”.
Diya Krishna’s Comment
Diya Krishna, another social media influencer and daughter of BJP leader and chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), G. Krishnakumar, appeared to second the content by commenting “Sad Reality”.
Ms. Krishna was not immediately available to comment. After the post provoked outrage in Keralam, she posted on Instagram that she had not watched Mr. Darren’s full post and that her comment pertained only to his first few remarks.
The Gandhi-Jinnah Objection
In the first part of the video, Mr. Darren objects to a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi juxtaposed with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder and first Prime Minister of Pakistan, at Kashi Art Cafe, a popular eatery in Fort Kochi. He says Jinnah has no place in India and that the portrait is an affront to national pride.
Mr. Darren says he entered the restaurant, noticed the Kashi branding, and blamed the management for serving beef. He says the management should rename the joint Karachi Art Cafe rather than use the name of the ancient city Hindus consider holy. Mr. Darren also seeks to portray Kochi as overwhelmingly Islamic, despite the Union Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India website describing Kochi as a city shaped over centuries by Jewish, Muslim and Christian cultural influences.
The FIR
According to the FIR registered by Fort Kochi police, the accused acted with the knowledge that his actions could disrupt peace and harmony. The case has been registered under Sections 353(2) and 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for circulating false information with intent to create or promote feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will between religious groups, and for giving provocation to cause riot.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) P. Vijayan told The Hindu that the 10-minute video sought to portray the Muslim population in Fort Kochi as a national threat. “The social media post prima facie reveals an attempt to create enmity between communities,” he said.
Political Reaction
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said in a statement on X that communal hatred has no place in Keralam. “The recent Instagram video by a vlogger from outside the State, attempting to spread misinformation about Fort Kochi, portray our State in a negative light, and divide communities, is unacceptable,” he said, adding that the UDF government remains committed to communal harmony and justice without fear or favour.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said on X: “Fort Kochi and Varkala are places where cultures meet, histories intertwine and diversity thrives. Now, a vlogger peddling hate for profit seeks to paint these vibrant destinations in communal colours. Having failed to divide Keralam, the Sangh Parivar is outsourcing its hate campaign to online provocateurs. But Keralam’s secular spirit will not yield to their politics of hatred. The State government must take strict legal action against those spreading communal enmity.”
DYFI national president A.A. Rahim, MP, told The Hindu that Mr. Darren’s post was the latest in a series of attempts to demonise Keralam, erode its religious harmony and inject identitarian politics into a secular polity where Christians and Muslims, among others, make up 45% of the population. He said the Sangh Parivar had bankrolled a similar attempt in 2023, when the BJP-led Central government promoted the film The Kerala Story, which sought to portray Keralam as a fertile recruiting ground for Islamists.
